3M Announces Hire Our Heroes Campaign

– Campaign will help provide training and support for veterans and
their families –

3M announces the Hire Our Heroes campaign to help support rehabilitation and training and drive employment in the collision repair industry for America's returning veterans and their families. (Graphic: 3M)

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3M announces the Hire Our Heroes campaign to help support rehabilitation and training and drive employment in the collision repair industry for America's returning veterans and their families. (Graphic: 3M)

ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As America’s troops are returning home they are facing unprecedented
unemployment rates. Their challenge is to match their military skills
and training with career opportunities here at home. 3M recognizes the
need for qualified technicians in the collision repair industry and is
creating an opportunity for returning veterans to find rewarding careers
with the right education and support.

3M, one of 15 corporations honored by the U.S. government as a “Freedom
Award Recipient,” and its Automotive Aftermarket Division are ready to
help with the new 3M Hire Our Heroes campaign to help provide training
and support for the nation’s returning veterans and their families.

3M is partnering with the Collision Repair Education Foundation, the
National Auto Body Council, and Operation Comfort to help support
rehabilitation and training and drive employment in the collision repair
industry for America’s returning veterans. The goal of the 3M Hire Our
Heroes campaign, which kicks off in January 2013, is to donate up to
$250,000 to benefit returning veterans and their families. The donation
is based on the sales of select popular 3M products to qualified
distributors.

“The men and women who have served our country bring excellent training
and skills, a commitment for doing the job correctly, a passion for
intellectual achievement and a strong work ethic – all tremendous
attributes for employment in today’s collision repair industry,” said
Dale Ross, U.S. Marketing Operations Manager for 3M Automotive
Aftermarket Division.

“Our industry needs qualified repair professionals with the necessary
skills to keep pace with the evolving repair standards,” added Ross. “We
are committed to helping repair facility owners and managers around the
country get the capable, qualified repair professionals they need to
perform at the high standards expected in today’s collision industry
while honoring the tremendous service of our military men and women.”

This program will provide funding for education of the nation’s
returning veterans and their families through the Collision Repair
Education Foundation. The grants and scholarships will help cover
tuition, books and classroom materials, and tools and equipment for
returning veterans and their families. Veterans and their immediate
families will be able to apply for 3M Hire Our Heroes grants and
scholarships beginning January 1, 2013, through www.CollisionEducationFoundation.org.

“The Collision Repair Education Foundation does an excellent job of
identifying great candidates for scholarship assistance and promoting
high-quality education for collision repair professionals at schools
throughout the country,” said Ross. “We’re proud to work with them to
support training for these deserving veterans and their family members.”

The 3M Hire Our Heroes program also will help fund rehabilitation for
the wounded veterans through Operation Comfort and the National Auto
Body Council as part of a unique automotive skill-based rehabilitation
program. Called Automotivation, it provides opportunities for wounded
soldiers to channel their automotive skills – or learn new ones – to
restore vehicles through the NABC Recycled Rides program for other
military veterans. The campaign will be raising funds for their new
facility in San Antonio, Texas.

“These men and women will receive instruction in collision repair,
estimating, vehicle refinishing and other related topics toward the goal
of preparing them for reentry into the civilian workforce, namely our
industry,” said NABC Executive Director Chuck Sulkala.

“Our wounded heroes have tremendous needs for rehabilitation, not just
in our military hospitals but in skills-based rehabilitation that
provides intellectual, hands-on opportunities and rewarding projects as
they recover from their injuries,” noted Ross.

The ultimate goal of the 3M Hire Our Heroes campaign is to support the
U.S. Chamber of Commerce in raising awareness for hiring America’s
heroes and help drive employment in the collision repair industry for
these deserving veterans and their families. In addition, 3M is a
national board member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Hiring Heroes
program.

During the 2013 campaign, 3M will engage its industry alliances, channel
partners and collision repair shops in building awareness for this
program. It also will utilize its relationships with NASCAR; Roush
Fenway Racing; team owner Jack Roush; Greg Biffle, driver of the No. 16
3M Ford Fusion; Chip Foose, leading automotive designer; and Ray
Evernham, legendary NASCAR crew chief and ESPN analyst to help share the
message.

More details will be available closer to the program launch on January
1, 2013. For more information contact Ted Guck, 3M Automotive
Aftermarket, at tcguck@mmm.com.

About 3M3M captures the spark of new ideas and transforms
them into thousands of ingenious products. Our culture of creative
collaboration inspires a never-ending stream of powerful technologies
that make life better. 3M is the innovation company that never stops
inventing. With $30 billion in sales, 3M employs 84,000 people worldwide
and has operations in more than 65 countries. For more information,
visit www.3M.com
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